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Figure on 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person. To buy the right size turkey for your party, simply tally up the turkey-eating guests. Add a few pounds on for bones and you've got your turkey weight. For example, 8 people will require a 12 to 14-pound turkey. Don’t cut it too close, however: Thanksgiving is the one meal where everyone expects and loves leftovers and cold turkey sandwiches the next day or two.

Cook the turkey on a rack of vegetables. Create a natural roasting rack for your turkey by layering carrots, onions and celery on the bottom of the roasting pan. Lifting the turkey off the base of the pan helps to increase hot air circulation around the whole bird so that it will get crispy all over. And the vegetables add great flavor to the gravy.

Rub the turkey with butter or oil. Before putting it in the oven, make sure the skin of the turkey is as dry as possible, and then rub it all over with butter or oil. For even moister meat, place pats of butter under the skin.

Skip the basting. Basting means more oven door opening, resulting in temperature fluctuations that can dry out your bird. Instead, keep your turkey moist by brining it in advance or by rubbing it all over with butter or oil.

Invest in a good meat thermometer. Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the turkey around the thigh, avoiding the bone. At 165 degrees F, it's done. The turkey will continue to cook as it rests, so the temperature should rise another 10 degrees or so out of the oven.

Give it a rest. To lock in juices, tent your turkey with foil and let it rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Be sure you don't cover the turkey too tightly as you don't want the bird to steam under the foil.

Thanksgiving is next week, and up until now we've covered some basics on decorating for the pending holiday, as well as offered some suggestions on meal planning and recipes. Now it's time for a bit of fun fact checking: There is a lot of misinformation out there on how best to prepare your turkey; everyone has their own experiences, and subjective "facts" abound. It's time to debunk a few of these notions.

Here is a list of myths you probably believe about the centerpiece of nearly everyone's Thanksgiving fare:

[info courtesy of Reader's Digest – rd.com]

Myth: You don’t have to thaw a turkey completely before cooking.

Actually: A properly thawed turkey is key to making sure the bird is fully cooked. A partially frozen will cook on outside, but the insides will remain raw.

Myth: Always wash the turkey thoroughly.

Actually: Scrubbing down your bird is not only unnecessary, it could actually be harmful. In an effort to clean the bird, you are likely splashing disease-causing germs around your sink and countertop; even nearby utensils and other food could be exposed. The USDA says it's "virtually impossible" to wash bacteria off a raw turkey, so why risk it?

Myth: A stuffed turkey won’t cook through.

Actually: You can reduce risk by heating the dressing up to at least 130 degrees before placing it in the turkey. Also, check the temperature of both the stuffing and turkey before serving. Note: Stuffing should be heated to about 165 degrees regardless of whether it is cooked inside the bird or separately.

Myth: Basting helps keeps meat flavorful and moist.

Actually: Contrary to popular belief, experts say basting doesn’t flavor or moisten the meat much because most of the liquid runs right off the skin again. Plus, opening and shutting the oven frequently can cool an oven quickly, adding to overall roasting time.

Myth: You can tell the bird is done by its thigh temperature.

Actually: Food experts recommended using the four-spot test to check for doneness: Use your meat thermometer to check the temp of both thighs, the thickest part of the breast on each side, and each wing. The bird isn't cooked enough until all areas register around 170 degrees.

Myth: The skin isn't good for you and should be avoided.

Actually: While turkey skin may be high in fat, it's the monounsaturated variety. Monounsaturated fats help balance cholesterol levels, which could lower your risk of heart disease, and it may improve insulin and blood sugar levels... So feel free to enjoy a small portion.

Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday -- one that has proven so popular that other nations have copied it over time. It’s the one occasion each year that, regardless of heritage or religious beliefs, all Americans readily participate in and enjoy. In fact, no other holiday is so universally celebrated that the main entrée and its accompanying side dishes and desserts themselves have become a tradition, and are the same no matter what state you visit or what ethnic background runs in your family.

We at Prisco’s think that that is just wonderful and don’t want to change a thing about this most revered food holiday...But that’s not to say that it might not be a good idea to mix it up just a bit. In fact, we encourage you to try making a few subtle changes to those traditional "can’t do without" dishes that will be part of your family's Thanksgiving meal. For example, while we certainly expect each of you to be serving turkey as the main centerpiece of your meal, consider a slight variation in the way it’s prepared...Just to add a new twist to the dish, as it were.

From appetizer through dessert, we dug into our recipe file and have come up with a nice selection of very traditional items served by many families at Thanksgiving. However, in keeping with the "mix it up" attitude, all of the recipes we've chosen are pretty distinctive, and we feel they just might set your dinner table apart from other Thanksgiving dinners. We hope that you find one or two worth trying.

There are links below to the actual recipes, as well as lists of the key ingredients so you can decide if it’s worth adding them to your shopping list.

Hosting a big turkey dinner can be a challenge but, if you do it with love and ask for some help, it need not become a stress-filled event. The following tips -- put together by Editor Debra Steilen of Better Homes & Gardens -- will prove to be a big help in making Thanksgiving a pleasant family occasion for all your guests -- and for you, the host or hostess, as well.

1. Create a plan. Sit down and make a guest list. From the number of guests you invite you can plan a meal. The secret to a simple meal is planning ahead so everything doesn't demand your attention all at once.

2. Plan a potluck. A potluck can be a great way to share the load, and with just a little planning you can avoid 15 green bean casseroles at your dinner table. Ensure menu variety and head off an all-deviled-egg buffet by assigning food categories to your guests.

3. Shop early. Brookhaven stores will get busier closer to Turkey Day. Plan your main shopping trip a week in advance and follow up with a second trip a day or two before Thanksgiving to pick up things like produce and bakery goods. Ask your spouse or partner to help with the shopping; it’s always easier if you have help finding things, and an extra pair of hands makes putting the groceries away much less stressful.

4. Prepare as much as possible in advance. There are plenty of side dishes, desserts, and breads that can be made ahead of time. For instance, measure seasonings and store them in labeled bags or containers; cut and store vegetables; and roast garlic a week in advance, then store the cloves in olive oil in the refrigerator.

One thing that you should not do, however, is pre-stuff your turkey. Harmful bacteria can multiply in the stuffing and cause food poisoning even when the stuffed bird is refrigerated. The cavity of the bird actually insulates the stuffing from the cold temperatures of the refrigerator and acts as an incubator for the harmful bacteria.

The ingredients for the stuffing can be prepared in advance and refrigerated separately. To save time, chop vegetables such as onions and celery the night before. The safest method is to mix the ingredients and lightly stuff the turkey just prior to popping it into a preheated oven.

5. Remember: practice makes perfect. If you're braving a new recipe or using ingredients that you aren't quite familiar with, try them out beforehand so you'll be primed for success on Thanksgiving Day.

6. Let your family help. Have the whole family help clean house and put up decorations. Children will jump at the chance to make place cards, fold napkins, and dress up your holiday table. This will also keep them out of the kitchen while you attend to the food.

7. Use your microwave oven. Take advantage of this appliance to reheat food before serving when all the burners on the stove-top are occupied.

8. Let the turkey rest before slicing. To avoid a last-minute crunch and assure tender turkey, let the bird rest out of the oven, covered, for about 20 minutes before slicing.

9. Serve buffet-style. Serving dinner buffet-style saves on both space and cleanup time. Also, with pretty serving bowls and silver utensils, guests can help themselves to seconds whenever they want.

10. Relax. Remember that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day full of family, relaxation, and reflection. Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and spend the day together sharing traditions, so don’t let the task of being the host or hostess overwhelm you and rob you of that joyous family experience.

If you will be entertaining the family for Thanksgiving try to stay cool and calm; be well organized and, most of all, don't forget it's your holiday, too, so enjoy the day. Here are some useful last minute ideas we found on Epicurious.com to help assure that things go smoothly:

Wednesday Before Thanksgiving: To make tomorrow manageable, do as much cooking as you can today. Here's a list of ideas:

* Defrost pie crusts and turkey stock. * Assemble and bake pies; store them at room temperature (unless they're custard-based, such as pumpkin pie, which should be refrigerated). * Prepare any side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, that can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave. * Clean and dry salad greens and store them in a resealable plastic bag. * Set the table, arrange chairs, set out flowers, candles, and any other decorations.

Thanksgiving Day: The big day! Here's a schedule to help you sail through with ease:

In the morning:

* If stuffing your turkey, prepare the stuffing and fill the turkey. * Put the turkey in to roast. * Defrost breads and any other prepared items that have been frozen. * Chill white wine and beer. * Set up the bar for any other drinks you'll be making.

Midday:

* While the turkey is roasting, complete all the other dishes. Let them stand at room temperature or, if ready more than one hour ahead, refrigerate. * Half an hour before dinnertime: When the turkey comes out, let it rest while you make the gravy and reheat the side dishes on the stove-top, in the oven, or in the microwave. * Dress the salad. * After the turkey has sat out of the oven for 20 minutes, carve the bird and serve the meal.

As soon as the last doorbell rang and the last small goblin headed home to count their Trick-or-Treat stash, the calendar seemed to take a huge leap forward and almost without warning the major entertaining holiday season is rapidly approaching. I’m not trying to raise your anxiety level-- quite the contrary. I hope to let you know that, as a loyal Prisco shopper, you are not alone and there are lots of things we are prepared to do to help make this Thanksgiving holiday a pleasant one to remember.

Here are some things for you to consider and we will step in to help along the way:

The Turkey: The entire day revolves around the Thanksgiving meal and of course the central focus of the meal is your turkey. For most Americans, the turkey is a frozen bird that you will want to purchase about a week prior to the big day, stick it in the freezer and remember to take it out to thaw in plenty of time prior to Thursday morning. Things are a bit different for most of our customers, however. While we do offer frozen turkeys, capons, quail and ducks, the vast majority of our customers now purchase a fresh, non-basted Ho-Ka or other brand of turkey that needs no thaw time and has been proven to be, hands down, a flavor improvement over the frozen turkey. IMPORTANT DATE: Since these are fresh turkeys that are slaughtered and dressed just days before you cook them, we need accurate information for ordering purposes. If you want to be certain that you get the correct size turkey (allow 1 lb. per adult and 1/2 pound per child or senior) you should order your turkey ahead of time. It is best to do it on or before Thursday 11/20, but certainly no later than Saturday 11/22.

Side Dishes: If everyone had enough kitchen, stove, refrigerator, freezer, and oven space to serve a Thanksgiving dinner every week of the year, America’s kitchens would be more than twice their actual size. If you find yourself too tight on space or too crunched on time you might like to let our deli kitchen serve as a back-up alternative. Look closely at this week’s ad and you will see that we can pre-make almost all of the sides everyone loves and serves for Thanksgiving, and that the price we charge for the convenience is well worth the cost. We have homemade mashed potatoes, our famous secret recipe turkey gravy, stuffing with our homemade sausage, homemade cranberry sauce, and many more tasty sidedishes ready to heat and serve.

Party Platters: No matter the size of your guest list our pre-made party platters are always a big hit. We offer antipasto, sliced meat, cheese, vegetable, fruit, and shrimp trays to name a few, and almost all come in multiple sizes. Check the party tray offerings on our website by clicking here.

Cheese, Wine & Beer Pairings: This year we added two things to make your holiday meal and entertainment even easier. One was to work with our vendors to put together delicious pairings for our wines, craft beers, and gourmet and specialty cheeses. These pairing charts, which you will find in our ad and posted in-store, take all the guess work out finding just the right cheese or beverage to serve before, with, or after your Thanksgiving dinner.

Dessert: The other new addition to our Thanksgiving offering is our pre-Thanksgiving Pie Palooza event where we are selling over twenty varieties of delicious fruit-filled and seasonal pies, baked just for you. These pies are much more than you might expect because we searched far and wide to find the very best ingredients to use in making these especially hearty pies. Each one weights in over 2 lbs., and many are more than 40 oz. Our staff has been taken aback at just how delicious these fresh baked pes are, and have all said that this will be only the first of many more Prisco Pre-Thanksgiving Pie-Ploozas. You can see our complete line of pie offerings by clicking here.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and if you have any questions give us a call at 630-264-9400 -- or just stop in the store.

Hosting a big turkey dinner can be a challenge but, if you do it with love and ask for some help, it need not become a stress-filled event. The following tips -- put together by Editor Debra Steilen of Better Homes & Gardens -- will prove to be a big help in making Thanksgiving a pleasant family occasion for all your guests -- and for you, the host or hostess, as well.

1. Create a plan. Sit down and make a guest list. From the number of guests you invite you can plan a meal. The secret to a simple meal is planning ahead so everything doesn't demand your attention all at once.2. Plan a potluck. A potluck can be a great way to share the load, and with just a little planning you can avoid 15 green bean casseroles at your dinner table. Ensure menu variety and head off an all-deviled-egg buffet by assigning food categories to your guests. Don't be shy -- this eliminates the guesswork for them, too. Give non-cooks a chance to participate by including categories such as beverages, paper products, or decorating.3. Shop early. Prisco's Family Market will get busier closer to Turkey Day. Plan your main shopping trip a week in advance and follow up with a second trip a day or two before Thanksgiving to pick up things like produce and bakery goods. Ask your spouse or partner to help with the shopping; it’s always easier if you have help finding things, and an extra pair of hands makes putting the groceries away much less stressful.4. Prepare as much as possible in advance. There are plenty of side dishes, desserts, and breads that can be made ahead of time. For instance, measure seasonings and store them in labeled bags or containers; cut and store vegetables; and roast garlic a week in advance, then store the cloves in olive oil in the refrigerator.

One thing that you should not do, however, is pre-stuff your turkey. Harmful bacteria can multiply in the stuffing and cause food poisoning even when the stuffed bird is refrigerated. The cavity of the bird actually insulates the stuffing from the cold temperatures of the refrigerator and acts as an incubator for the harmful bacteria.

The ingredients for the stuffing can be prepared in advance and refrigerated separately. To save time, chop vegetables such as onions and celery the night before. The safest method is to mix the ingredients and lightly stuff the turkey just prior to popping it into a preheated oven.5. Remember: practice makes perfect. If you're braving a new recipe or using ingredients that you aren't quite familiar with, try them out beforehand so you'll be primed for success on Thanksgiving Day.6. Let your family help. Have the whole family help clean house and put up decorations. Children will jump at the chance to make place cards, fold napkins, and dress up your holiday table. This will also keep them out of the kitchen while you attend to the food.7. Use your microwave oven. Take advantage of this appliance to reheat food before serving when all the burners on the stove-top are occupied.8. Let the turkey rest before slicing. To avoid a last-minute crunch and assure tender turkey, let the bird rest out of the oven, covered, for about 20 minutes before slicing.9. Serve buffet-style. Serving dinner buffet-style saves on both space and cleanup time. Also, with pretty serving bowls and silver utensils, guests can help themselves to seconds whenever they want.10. Relax. Remember that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day full of family, relaxation, and reflection. Thanksgiving is a great time for families to gather and spend the day together sharing traditions, so don’t let the task of being the host or hostess overwhelm you and rob you of that joyous family experience.

Being in business for 88 years requires dedicated ownership, great employees, a wonderful product, a little bit of luck, and the support of the community. Indeed, Prisco’s Family Market has been blessed with all of these ingredients. Particularly at this time of year with the Thanksgiving holiday just around the corner, it’s good to take a break from the business of the season to pause and reflect on the roots of our success.

Our parents and grandparents before them instilled in all of us the importance of being involved in our community and staying close to our customers. This year as in the past, November and December are packed with projects where we will happily donate our time and treasure to our local community. We decided to step it up a notch this year and make a point of showing our sincere appreciation to the wonderful customers who support us week in and week out by driving past the giant corporate box stores and mega chains to shop at our store and support our independently owned family business. Please check this week’s ad and learn about our Thanksgiving Customer Appreciation Grocery Giveaway.

As for the community where we live and work, it has certainly sustained us over the years, and it is with a great deal of gratitude and humility that we acknowledge the fact we couldn’t have done it without you, our friends and neighbors! It has been and continues to be a wonderful relationship. But any lasting relationship is always a two way street; you support us, and we support you. Prisco’s Family Market has given back to Auroraland in a number of ways:

* Our charitable gift card program is a great way for churches, schools, and other not-for-profits to raise funds. We sell the organization Prisco’s gift cards at a very generous 5% discount which then can be resold to its members at face value. Many thousands of dollars have been raised by a number of organizations in this way.

* We also aid organizations in their fundraising efforts by donating beautiful custom made gift baskets for silent auctions and so forth.

* Prisco’s became a founding member of the Holiday Food Drive to aid the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry which is now in its 7th year. We sell premade bags of food to our customers and then send the bags to the Pantry for distribution to the needy in our community. Prisco’s subsidizes the cost of each bag. This is a terrific joint Prisco’s/Community project.

* We also run a Christmas Food Drive in conjunction with our friend and colleague Jerry Pigatti and his associates. Last year 350+ food boxes with the ingredients for a complete turkey dinner were distributed through our network of local churches and schools, all at no charge to the recipients. This drive is in its 21st year.

* Prisco’s donates unsellable produce, bakery, meat, and deli items twice per week to the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry to insure that no one in the community goes hungry and good food is not wasted. We recently accepted the Pantry’s Distinguished Service Award.

As you can see, giving back to the community is a priority with us here at Prisco’s.

Without a doubt the month of November is the busiest that our meat department gets every year, followed closely by December. It is so gratifying to realize that thousands of our customers come year after year to our store and order their fresh turkey and Christmas roasts. On behalf of the Prisco Family and our employees we would like to say “Thank you” for your ongoing support and we want to wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

That being said, I’d like to devote my Shout Out to passing on some helpful advice and perhaps answer questions about how to best prepare and enjoy the center of your holiday meal… The turkey.

Let me begin by going over the top 10 reasons why you should always purchase an all-natural Ho-Ka fresh, non-basted turkey from Prisco’s Family Market.

These are locally grown turkeys raised on the Kaufmann Farm in Waterman, IL.

The Kaufman Farm is a green farm. In addition to raising turkeys, the farm rotates crops of corn, soy beans and wheat. Turkey litter is the only fertilizer used on the corn which is grown to feed the turkeys. Turkeys range on freshly harvested wheat fields, which were no-till drilled into last year's soybean field.

Ho-Ka turkeys are raised in a slower, gentler fashion in order to assure that each bird attains maximum tenderness, a denser meatiness and a richer favor.

Ho-Ka turkeys are fed a balanced diet of animal protein and natural grain.

Ho-Ka turkeys are younger and therefore more tender, dressed at 16 to 19 weeks.

Our Ho-Ka turkeys are 100% natural with minimal processing and absolutely no additives.

Prior to Thanksgiving they are raised free range on freshly harvested wheat fields

Our Ho-Ka turkeys are comparable to or better tasting than those sold online or in specialty stores at more than twice the price per lb.

Our fresh (never frozen) Ho-Ka turkeys retail for just $2.99 lb.

..... And the top reason to buy your fresh Ho-Ka turkey from Prisco’s Family Market is .....

YOU ALWAYS GET IT EXACTLY YOUR WAY. Simply call us at (630) 264-9401. Tell us what size bird or birds you want, what extras you would like included, and when you want to pick it up. It’s that simple. All you need do then is invite the quests and write your shopping list for the fresh produce, deli trays, pies and wine and beer to get when you stop to pick up your delicious, fresh Ho-Ka Turkey.

What if you have questions?

Is this the first time you’ve cooked a turkey dinner? Perhaps not the first but it’s been a while and you don’t want to disappoint a house full of Thanksgiving quests? Not to worry, you’ve come to the right place. We have all your turkey questions answered and several you haven’t even thought of yet. Here are some examples of questions we get asked most often.

Question: Can you really tell the difference between a fresh Ho-Ka turkey and the less expensive frozen alternative?

Answer: Some people can’t but the vast majority can and that’s why hundreds of local area families return to Prisco’s every year to order their fresh turkey and holiday roasts.

Question: Is there a difference in taste between the various brands of turkeys that you carry?

Answer: While individual customers show a particular preference for one band over another our taste experts say it’s difficult to taste any clear difference because we carry only Grade “A” natural birds. We like to steer people who aren’t pre-set on a particular brand toward the locally grown, all natural fresh Ho-Ka brand because they offer the best opportunity to match the bird size with your particular needs.

Question: Do you only sell fresh turkeys? What if I’d prefer a frozen turkey?

Answer: No problem at all, we carry two of the most popular frozen turkeys in the market, Grade “A” Nobest and Butterball.

Question: What size turkey should I order?

Answer: To have plenty for everyone, figure one pound per average adult and about ½ a pound for seniors and children. This is one meal, however, where everyone wants some leftovers, so after counting heads and pounds add on five or six pounds for delicious leftovers and turkey sandwiches.

Question: Do I need to get a hen?

Answer: This is something that you may have heard from grandma or perhaps even Mom. Years ago when turkeys were raised totally free range the Toms (males) ran a lot, fought with each other and got lean and a bit tough. A Tom turkey was something to be avoided if possible. That’s not the case any longer: All the turkeys are raised humanely and are well cared for to assure that no matter the sex of the bird, you are getting a delicious natural meal.

Question: Will my turkey keep fresh in my refrigerator?

Answer: Yes it should keep fresh for a week if properly refrigerated. Just keep it in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Question: What can I do to avoid hurt feelings when four kids want the two drum sticks?

Answer: Easier than you may think. When you order your turkey ask for two extra turkey legs…no problem. Some customers who have an abundance of white meat lovers order an extra turkey breast rather than trying to fit two full turkeys in the oven.

Question: What is the proper temperature for a roasted turkey?

Answer: The white meat should be 160-165 degrees F. and the dark meat 170-175 degrees F. Most of the fresh turkeys come with a popup timer. The Ho-Ka and Butterball do not. Pop up timers are available for sale in the store. The frozen turkeys do come with timers. Of course the surest method is to use an instant read thermometer.

Question: I have a small family and nobody likes dark meat. What do you suggest?

Answer: Buy one of our exceptional boneless or bone-in breasts. Our meat cutters make them right here at the store in a variety of sizes. We are one of the few stores that offers a complete range of fresh turkey parts including breasts, drumsticks, thighs, wings, backs and necks for stock, and giblets. (Boy if they thought that they didn’t like dark meat wait till they try some turkey giblets.)

Question: I’ve heard brining can make a turkey moister. What does that involve?

Answer: Brining your turkey is a good way to add moisture and seasoning throughout the bird. It is generally worth the effort. The most basic way to brine a turkey (see The Joy of Cooking) is to add two pounds of salt to two gallons of water in a suitable container and, in a cool spot, submerge your turkey for 4-6 hours. At roasting time, remove from the solution, pat dry and cook according to instructions. Many times people like to add their own touches to the brining solution such as apple cider, or various spice combinations. Brining kits are available in the store.

Margaret’s 5 step process to carving a turkey

I’d like to close out this little epistle on turkeys by sharing my sure fire best way to carve your turkey

Take the turkey from the oven, place on a cutting board and remove the stuffing. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before beginning.

With a sharp carving knife, remove the legs by placing the knife in the seam where the thigh meets the breast. Slice through the meat slowly, pushing down on the leg until you reach the ball joint (where the thigh bone meets the pelvis). With the tip of the knife, cut through the joint, releasing the whole leg. Grasp the drumstick in one hand and with the knife, find the drumstick/thigh joint and separate the drumstick from the thigh. Repeat for the other side.

Next grasp the wing and probe with the knife tip to find the joint where the wing attaches to the breast. Cut through the joint and remove the wing. Repeat for the other wing.

You now have the whole breast with back portion attached. At this point the breast meat can be sliced “as is” or the breast meat can be removed from the carcass in halves and then placed on the cutting board for slicing.

To remove the breast meat from the bone, score the breast down the middle along the keel (or breast bone) with the tip of the knife. Once the seam has been created insert the blade lengthwise and “scoop” along the breast bone. The breast half should literally fall away from the bone at this point. Repeat for the other half.

You now have a disjointed turkey. The meat can now be sliced as you wish. The drumsticks, thighs, and wings can be served as-is, or the meat can be sliced off and the bones discarded. Slice the breast meat against the grain.